Capsugel, which develops hard capsules and drug-delivery systems, generated about $750 million in sales last year. The company will maintain its New Jersey headquarters after the sale is complete.

“This transaction is an endorsement of Capsugel’s consistent success to date and its potential for future growth with KKR, a firm with deep industry expertise and a long history of partnering with market-leading businesses to take them to the next level,” Capsugel president and general manager Guido Driesen said. “Capsugel’s employees and I are excited to work with KKR and eager to enhance the value of our business in partnership with our customers.”

Walgreens’ executive client forum emphasizes employer health programs

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Representatives from leading employers and payers met Monday to discuss the evolving role of employers in health care at the first Walgreens Employer Health and Wellness Executive Client Forum.

Throughout the two-day event, attendees also will participate in activities to identify and share best practices on how employers can optimize emerging trends in the healthcare and pharmacy space.

Notable companies attending the event include Caterpillar, Highmark and Toyota. Each of these organizations manages health and/or pharmacy needs in conjunction with Take Care Health Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Walgreens with more than 700 locations throughout the country. Employer health and pharmacy programs managed through Walgreens and Take Care Health Systems incorporate an array of services, including primary care, health and wellness, occupational health, pharmacy, fitness, physical therapy and others.

"No matter what industry or line of business, companies across the country are increasingly looking for innovative, measurable healthcare and pharmacy solutions that can improve outcomes and convenience for their employees while simultaneously reducing overall costs," stated Peter Hotz, Walgreens group VP.

"Walgreens is steadily building on our unique collection of assets across the pharmacy, health and wellness spectrum to offer payers and employers customizable programs designed to achieve these goals," Hotz added. "This forum is an excellent opportunity for current and prospective clients to learn more about the future of employer health, as well as share key successes and challenges they have experienced and learned within their organizations."

The forum features presentations focused on key emerging themes in the employer health and pharmacy sector. Topics to be covered during the event include:

"With the growing use of technologies like electronic medical records and medication monitoring programs to help patients boost their adherence and manage chronic conditions, smart companies need to be constantly exploring how to get the most out of the healthcare options available," stated Paul VanDeventer, Walgreens divisional VP of the employer segment. "By informing organizations about these services and also demonstrating to them the specific impact they can have, Walgreens is furthering its commitment to being a go-to health resource for employers and payers."

DUBLIN, Ohio — Cardinal Health on Monday released the independent pharmacist’s social media toolkit, available exclusively to its independent retail pharmacy customers in recognition of the fundamental change in how independent pharmacies interact today with their patients and market their businesses.

“While the use of social media by businesses has picked up in recent years, many of our customers are still unsure of how it can and should be leveraged to help their own marketing efforts,” stated Jay Williams, VP marketing strategy for Cardinal Health’s retail pharmacy business. “We’ve developed this toolkit — specifically geared toward independent pharmacy owners — to demystify the world of social media and offer helpful solutions they can use it to promote their businesses and connect with their patients and communities online.”

According to a recent study published by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, 59% of all adults use the Internet to research critical health information. Furthermore, baby boomers represent the fastest-growing demographic in terms of social media usage, with 47% of Internet users ages 50 to 64 years now actively using social media, according to the AARP.

The independent pharmacist’s social media toolkit offers independent pharmacists practical information on how social media can be integrated into their pharmacy’s existing marketing and promotion efforts, including:

High-level explanations of what social media encompasses and why it is important to the independent pharmacy owner’s business;

Easy-to-follow best practices for maximizing the potential for social media success, including recommendations for developing content, best practices for interacting with online audiences, practical tips for minimizing time and resource requirements, and straightforward “dos and don’ts” for avoiding common social media pitfalls;

Real-world case studies detailing how other independent pharmacists are using social media to connect with customers and advance marketing objectives; and

Detailed explanations and step-by-step instructions on how to use some of the most popular social media tools, including Facebook and Twitter.

In addition to offering this resource to help establish a solid foundation for effective social media use, experts from Cardinal Health’s local store marketing team also can help independent pharmacy customers develop a robust, customized social media presence as part of their broader marketing efforts. Independent pharmacies participating in the local store marketing program are encouraged to leverage these experts to help their staff get involved in helping to build and maintain a strong and responsive social media presence.

“As an independent pharmacy owner who’s active in social media, I’m excited to see Cardinal Health reach out to fellow independents with such a timely and valuable resource,” said Jonathan Rider, owner of Fairmont, West Virginia-based Rider Pharmacy. “The tips and solutions in this toolkit, paired with the wealth of resources provided by Cardinal Health’s local store marketing team, give independent pharmacies like us a competitive edge by offering a new way to build the personal customer relationships that make our businesses unique.”

The independent pharmacist’s social media toolkit is exclusively available to Cardinal Health independent retail pharmacy customers. In addition to this latest offering, Cardinal Health offers customers a comprehensive suite of local store marketing products and services tailored to their unique business needs, including one-on-one consultations, local demographic analyses, customized marketing/advertising plans and “the KIT” — a comprehensive line of fully customizable marketing materials that includes custom store websites, in-store radio broadcasts, custom TV/radio spots and outbound calling services.

As part of a panel at the recent Drug Store News Industry Issues Summit, officials from Walmart and Kroger shared the ways the two organizations go about taking a collaborative approach to health care.

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